


The Sovereign Helm Association: Worldbuilding

by orphan_account



Category: Original Work
Genre: High Fantasy, Original Fiction, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24850483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Long ago, before the New King and even the First Empire, the Old Ones came. Now, the New King threatens to throw off the careful balance they created when the world was new and fresh. All hope seems to be lost until out of the ashes, a resistance rises, going by the carefully chosen alias of The Sovereign Helm Association.Step into the world of the Sovereign Helm Association and experience the magic and culture of the world of Kavristonia.
Kudos: 2





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> This work contains information on the land, society, people, and customs of the comic I've been working on for four years now. Hopefully soon I will be able to start working on actually drawing it, but for now I'm still in the scripting phase, so I decided to post something about it in preparation for the actual thing. Hopefully I can actually see this thing through to the end!

Long ago, before the New King and even before the First Empire, the Old Ones came.

They arrived from the First Home with their Magicks and breathed life to our kingdom. The Tempest came first; she built the mountains of ash, sculpted the Moon of soot, and dug the valleys of kaolin with her Silver Lade. Then was The Empress; she poured the oceans with her Holy Jorum and murmured the Great Winds from the north. Succeeding her arrival was The Curator; they molded the mink and owl and lizard from the Sacred Argil and whispered life into them, and Ignited the Sun with their breath. After The Curator, The Maiden landed with her Satin Slippers and brought purity and joy to the land and the animals. Soon after came The Sleeper, who wove the Strings of Fate with his Carmine Silk and set Time in motion. Finally, The Remnant disembarked donning his Ebony Diadem and brought Knowledge and Finality.

With the Old Ones came the Spirits, beings of Light who Danced across the Earth and Waters and Winds. The Empress bestowed upon them Freedom so that they could Roam the Earths and see all that there was to see. The Tempest gifted them Influence over some of the Earth. The Curator gifted them an Ever-shifting Form. The Old Ones had them as their Companions, and for some time, were happy. 

Yet the Old Ones soon became unsatisfied. And so, they gathered at the Centenarian Willow, which was very young then, and began work. The Curator fashioned six dolls from their Sacred Argil. The Tempest scooped out eyes with her Silver Lade so that they would See her beautiful earth. The Maiden placed her Satin Slippers into their chests as hearts so that they would Laugh and Love and Feel. The Empress spilled blood from her Holy Jorum into them so that they would have Courage and Breathe her Winds. The Sleeper tied his Carmine Silk ‘round their chests so that they would have Destinies. The Remnant placed upon their heads his Ebony Diadem as brains so that they would Know the ways of the Earth and so that they would Fall someday. 

But their work was not done. The Tempest blessed the first doll with Elusiveness and Will over the wind and earth, naming it the Nymph. The Sleeper blessed the second, granting it the gift of Prophecy, and it was called the Elf. The Curator blessed the third doll, granting it great Animosity and Persuasion, and christened it the Faerie. The Empress blessed the fourth doll with gills to breathe her beautiful Waters and Will over the sea, calling it the Triton. The Remnant blessed the fifth doll, granting it the ability to commune with the dead, and dubbed it the Ifrit. Finally, the Maiden blessed the final doll with high intelligence and talent in the arts, and entitled it as the Human. At last, The Curator breathed life into them and set them out into their new world.

And so, the Old Ones adopted Mortal Forms for their Blessed Six to See them, and hid their Hallowed Artifacts amidst the Earth. Time passed and the Old Ones saw their Blessed Six grow and die. The Curator, The Maiden, The Tempest, and The Empress were saddened to see their creations pass, and so they approached The Sleeper and The Remnant with A Proposal. The Sleeper and Remnant would allow them to Shed their Mortal Forms and, in a sense, Die, so that they would Not have to see this any longer. The two agreed, and with the help of The Remnant, they each chose one of their Blessed Six to be their Progenies, and then they Shed their Mortal Forms and Retreated back to the First Home. 

It is said that to this day, the Progenies of the Old Ones still walk the Earth, and are lying in wait for their time to rise and claim their Kingdom once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully I will be able to keep this to a regular update schedule. I'm thinking weekly or bi-monthly, but we'll see how it goes. please feel free to leave feedback and criticism, I'd love to know what you think!


	2. The Land

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updating early because I finished this sooner than expected.

Kavristonia, the kingdom where this story takes place, spans over two continents and a lot of islands. There are a lot of major cities dotted across its vast landscape, but the most known and important cities to the narrative are as follows:

• **Capital City:** The largest, most developed city in the kingdom. This is where the King’s Palace is. It’s also the most populated and diverse city, and it’s most citizens’ hub for information and activities. Capital City is where most of the big celebrations and ceremonies happen. It’s often revered as a greatly advanced city and is quite different from the other cities in the country by way of technological advancement. The location was chosen due to its proximity to Lake Empress and because it is where the Centenarian Willow grows. • Bird Pepper Beach: A beachside town with an abundance of bird peppers and a strange array of birds. This town serves as a sort of unofficial refuge for outcasts, so it’s also one of the most diverse cities. The town is also known for its diverse bird population, which are believed to have been brought to the beach hundreds of years ago and adapted to the new environment quickly, making whole new species of birds only native to the beach.

• **Redgulch:** A town built into the side of a red clay ravine. This little village is mostly populated by humans and ifrit, and it is known for its steep staircases and jagged, vermilion rocks. Due to its unique Location, Redgulch is a more secluded and hard-to-reach town than most; most of its inhabitants were either born there or married into a family that lived there. They have a very close knit community that is usually hostile toward outsiders.

• **New Aucterham:** A fishing village located upon a steep cliff. This town has a unique shape, most of its buildings built up a slope with a church dedicated to The Sleeper on top, as many its inhabitants are elves. It was built on the ashes of Aucterham, which was burnt to the ground by looters; because of this, is the newest major establishment in Kavristonia. They are known for their crystal clear waters and their inhabitants’ seemingly inexplicable luck at sea.

• **Yarfail and Venfait:** These two farming villages have a long and painful history together. Forged by two lifelong enemies, both nymphs, long before the New King came to power, they quickly became violent with one another. This violence is founded on a few factors, including the fact that they both have valuable resources- Yarfail owns the Yarfail Wilds, a lush forest with trees that seem to grow extremely quickly, and Venfait owns the Venfait Peaks, the largest mountain range in Kavristonia. Not even interference from the Monarchy has been able to stop their incessant warring, which has been going on for over 200 years.

• **Tarnstead:** The second largest and the richest city in Kavristonia, mainly populated by faeries. Tarnstead was able to grow so large because it is situated as the only major city on a huge island, which most people call Tarnstead Island, as it was never officially named. They became so wealthy due to the Tarnstead Slopes, a mountain range that cuts the island across the middle. These mountains are covered in caves full or precious materials lie silver, gold, emerald, and even some diamonds. They are also in the proximity of Seaview Thicket, a Cherrywood forest which abruptly ends at the southernmost end of the island.

• **Maiden’s Landing:** This town is known for having the biggest worshiping building in Kavristonia, a Maiden’s Temple called the Grand Temple of The Maiden. When it was founded by a group of exiled humans, the first thing they built was the gorgeous temple, complete with huge stained glass windows, polished wood pews, and the most detailed statue of The Maiden in Kavristonia. Due to its status as the greatest Maiden-worshiping city in Kavristonia, they make most of their money off of tourist attractions related to the temple. Many worshipers of The Maiden also believe that her Satin Slippers were hidden somewhere in or around the town, which is why the humans were drawn there in the first place. It also could have been the beautiful pink flowers, known as Maiden’s Steps, that grow all over the town and its surrounding areas.

In addition to the major cities, Kavristonia is also abundant in gorgeous and well-known natural landmarks. Many of them have a religious or spiritual significance to the Kavristonian people, as their whole society is built upon the Legend of the Old Ones.

• **The Remnant’s Rise:** This is the tallest and coldest mountain range in Kavristonia. It is believed that this is where The Remnant hid his Ebony Diadem after creating the earth. The mountains themselves are craggy, steep, and notoriously difficult to scale. Countless followers of The Remnant have tried and failed to find the Ebony Diadem within the Mountains’ vast cave system, but none have succeeded. Those who have gone in and been able to return have said that it felt like the caves were changing all around them.

• **The Great Spirit Woods:** The largest and thickest woods in Kavristonia. The average citizen would look to these woods and see a thick, untamable mess, but members of The Sovereign Helm Association know that these woods have the largest population of spirits still living in Kavristonia. These woods are extremely dangerous, as they are full of carnivorous plants, dangerous animals, and vengeful spirits. It is considered a rite of passage in the SHA to enter the woods and return with a spirit familiar.

• **Lake Empress:** This is the largest and deepest lake in all of Kavristonia, and is believed to be where The Empress hid her Holy Jorum. The lake is full of a purple seaweed that only grows there, and many believe it has healing properties if eaten or turned into a tea. It is also thought that the water itself is some of the purest in Kavristonia, although it is taboo t drink from the lake or its three rivers, known as Tossing Creek, Minnow Brook, and Empress River, unless part of a ritual or holiday.

• **Spirit’s Claws:** These mountains were named after they were supposedly the birthplace of the Spirits. Many take its below freezing temperatures as a warning sign not to go there, as it’s the landmark with the highest fatality rate in the whole kingdom. The residents of Millstone, the town built closest to these mountains, use them and the stories of those who have perished on their heights to teach their children morals about caution and forward thinking.

• **Curator Gulf:** This gulf is home to a gorgeous reef full of beautiful fish and sea creatures. Believed to be where The Curator hid their Sacred Argil, this location was where the faeries decided to build their Great Curator’s Mosque, similar to the Grand Temple of The Maiden in Maiden’s Landing. The accompanying city to the gulf, Curator’s Cove, is where the mosque resides. In the gulf is also an abundance of trinkets such as coins, jewelry, and other precious items, for it is believed by the faeries living there that wishing upon a trinket and tossing it into the water will bring good luck.

• **The Centenarian Willow:** This is the largest and oldest tree in Kavristonia. The legend goes that this is where the Old Ones gathered to create the races which reside in the kingdom. The willow is at the center of many holidays and celebrations. In Kavristonia, there are certain places where it is customary to pray to a certain god, but the willow is the only place where one can pray to any god of their choosing. It is thought to ring good fortune and happiness when folks leave offerings to their gods under the tree. It was also made illegal when Kavristonia was still young to mark up the tree in any permanent way, such as carving it, breaking a branch, or damaging its leaves. However, taking parts of the tree and decorating it is acceptable during some holidays.

• **Tempest Ravine:** This is the deepest ravine in Kavristonia. It is thought that this is where The Tempest hid her Silver Lade somewhere in this canyon. Inside grows a crystal that can only be found here, and it is the center of many rituals regarding The Tempest. It’s a rite of passage in Nymph culture to go into the ravine and bring back the crystal that corresponds to one’s element. The Nymphs often wear said crystal on a pendant or some type of jewelry.

• **Sleeper Island:** This island doesn’t look all that different from most, but if one looks closer, they will find that it is completely choked by red vines. All of the plants are covered in these thin red creepers, and all of the animals have specially adapted to use them, whether it be for food, camouflage, or even serving as a host for them. It is thought that this island is where The Sleeper hid his Strings of Fate. Many elves eat or weave the vines into jewelry to honor The Sleeper. The island is also one of the most popular vacation destinations in Kavristonia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are many other towns and landmarks that I didn't include for the sake of brevity. However, I am currently working on a full map of Kavristonia, so hopefully I will be able to put that in at some point.


	3. The Races (Part One: Humans and Elves)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter explains the biology, culture, and gifts of Kavristonia's most similar races, elves and humans.

In Kavristonia, there are an abundance of different races. Each one has a gift given to them by their ancestor god; this manifests as a special ability that the other races lack. The races all vary quite differently from one another, but the most similar are the humans and the elves. The reason behind this is thought to be that The Maiden and The Sleeper were very close friends, much more so than the other Old Ones, so they wanted their progenies to closely resemble one another. Despite their similarities, however, humans and elves still have their differences that set them apart from one another.

> _Humans_

Humans are the progenies of The Maiden. They received two gifts from her, which are heightened intelligence and greater proficiency with the Arts. They are well known for being the most versatile and adaptive of the races.

**Appearance and Biology**

Humans are the most diverse race when it comes to appearance. They have an extremely vast range of skin tones, but when simplified the four shades they usually fall into are brown, olive, tan, and fair. Their hair can be any texture from kinky to curly to straight, and it is often on the softer side when compared to other races such as faeries or ifrit. Hair colors for humans range from pitch black to platinum blond. Their body types and facial shapes also range wildly.

All in all, humans have small eyes and rounded, small ears. They lack any natural defenses such as fangs, claws, horns, or venom. Their average heights range from around five foot to seven foot. Humans’ eyes have a white sclera and round pupil, and the iris colors include brown, gold, green, black, hazel, and blue.

The most common genetic mutations for humans are skeletal deformities such as scoliosis or arthritis, albinism, and lactose/gluten intolerance. Many humans also sport skin markings like birth marks, freckles, and moles.

Humans, being a mammalian species, carry their young inside them. Their pregnancies usually last around nine months and the number of babies born at once ranges from one to three. It is extremely rare for a human to have more than three babies as once, and one is the most common number.

**Culture**

Due to their gifts, humans value intelligence and kindness very greatly in their culture. They believe that love and family are the key to success, and as such they put great value on family bonds. They tend to be more open-minded because of this belief, as to them, love is the most important thing, no matter who it’s with. This leads to more human hybrids than hybrids of other races, as the humans who fall in love with people of other races don’t have to hide it as much. Humans also form new bonds with others extremely quickly and are easily forgiving due to their high empathy.

One of the many genetic diversities in humans is synesthesia. This condition only appears in the direct descendants of The Maiden. In human culture, progenies who show this trait are celebrated and treated almost like royalty.

Humans often go into creative careers like painters, writers, and musicians. They succeed in directing film, photography, and sculpture as well because of the ease at which they understand things. Their intelligence means that creative hobbies come a lot easier to them. The film and music industries are massively dominated by humans, and many craft artists are humans as well.

Humans are often the most connected to their extended families out of the races. Most humans have strong bonds with their families that are extremely hard to break. They derive strength and self-worth from others by surrounding themselves with big groups of people. Most humans have one shared surname with their family, similar to elves, that acts as their identifying name. If someone shares a name with a famous or infamous relative, they will be automatically tied to said relative’s actions, no matter what.

Humans make up for their lack of natural defenses with their resourcefulness. Humans can fashion a weapon or tool out of anything they find, which is the primary reason why they are the most common race in Kavristonia. They live in the most diverse areas because they can adapt to many different climates and locations.

**Gift**

As mentioned previously, humans have the gifts of heightened intelligence and creativity. This manifests in many ways, from becoming skilled in a new art form or hobby quickly to easily understanding a math problem.

Intelligence in humans manifests not as knowledge but as their ability to understand things. A human is very likely to easily understand something new after having it explained to them once. They are great learners, and often seek out new skills to build up their character and personality.

All humans experience and present their gift in different ways. Some humans don’t have a strong gift, which leads to them becoming more stubborn or set in their ways. Others have extremely strong gifts, making them clever and witty. The humans with the strongest gifts usually are or are related to The Maiden’s direct descendants.

Humans’ duel gifts help to balance things out. Someone with a weak intelligence gift may have trouble with problem solving, but they often make up for it in their great creativity and willingness to try new things. On the other hand, those with a strong intelligence gift could easily solve any conundrum presented to them but be entirely useless when it comes to the arts. Humans who have weakness in both gifts are viewed as duds and sometimes failures, as it is believed that The Maiden scorned them by not giving them strong gifts. Those with both strong gifts are rare and viewed as favored by The Maiden.

> _Elves_

Elves are the progenies of The Sleeper. They have the gift of prophecy and are known for their affinity for tradition and culture.

**Appearance and Biology**

Elves often have thin and lithe body types. They have flat feet Elves have angular faces and facial features. Their skin tones include fair, tan, ashen, and even sometimes blue. Their hair is extremely soft and can be straight to wavy in texture. Hair colors for elves include platinum blond, nut brown, dirty blond, strawberry blond, gray, white, and soot black. Their skin is the thinnest of all the races; this coupled with their thin stature makes them seem more fragile.

Elves have small eyes and long, fleshy ears that are rounded at the tips. These ears can be pointing up, down, or straight to the side. Many elves have overbites and they have no claws or horns. Their eyes have large pupils and irises, and the color of their sclera is often a lighter shave of their iris, as well as the pupil being a darker shade of the iris instead of black. Their eye colors include blue, gold, green, hazel, and white as the most common shades. All elves are born with blue eyes until around the age of fifteen, whn their natural eye color reveals itself.

Elves can have light freckles, and vitiligo is common amongst them. Their hair grows remarkably fast, but they are least likely to have thick body or facial hair. Colorblindness and heterochromia are also common genetic differences.

Elves are also mammalian and carry their unborn babies inside them. However, their pregnancies only last around six months. Many elves are born as twins, although single babies are common as well. Any number of babies over four is considered rare.

Elves have stronger lungs than others because they live at higher altitudes. They have the longest lifespan of every race at 250 years. All elves have flat feet.

**Culture**

Elves value wisdom, beauty, and tradition most in their culture. They often are picky about their clothes, accessories, homes, and décor because of this. Elves are fond of the finer things in life, and often will distance themselves from things that do not fit their chosen aesthetic or vibe. They have a deep respect for time and age, and as such are often drawn to antique decoration and preserving ancient monuments and buildings. However, not everything is about looks for elves. Due to their value of wisdom, they are often great scholars and educators. Many elves own vast collections of old tomes and ancient scrolls, and the preservation of old knowledge if valued highly in their society.

Spirituality is another huge part of elf culture. They often seek out new ways to gain wisdom and a connection to The Sleeper through many different spiritual practices. Elves meditate, create intricate and lavish offerings, observe ancient traditions, and practice different forms of Spirit Magic to cultivate a healthy relationship with their ancestor god. Elves with stronger gifts sometimes even dedicate their whole lives to The Sleeper and his traditions and values.

Because of their respect for tradition, many elves still uphold ancient practices from the times of the First Empire. One of these traditions is keeping the hair of lost loved ones and making it into jewelry; the practice is seen as respectful and honoring for the person who passed. This could either be by weaving it or just keeping it in something like a locket. Since long hair is considered beautiful in elf culture, there is often a lot to choose from.

Another old tradition that is still practiced in modern times is naming children after important things like family members, significant relics, and The Sleeper himself. Names are extremely important in elf society, as their meanings can affect how some elves are treated by others. Certain names are considered to be unlucky, while others are seen as bringing good fortune- these meanings can come from all places such as mythology, history, and individual prejudices and preferences. Keeping the memory of loved ones and important family heirlooms and events is very important to elves, so they name their children for them. The circumstances of a child’s birth can also be a player in their name.

Elves often go into careers like teachers, scientists, historians, and archivists. Their gift makes them great for jobs such as fortune tellers, prophets, and strategists. A lot of elves are expected to go into one of these careers, but some of them still choose to dedicate their lives to preserving ancient artifacts, buildings, and art pieces by becoming restorers or conservators.

Just like humans, the surname of an elf is a very important identifying trait for them. This is the main reason why elves put such a strong importance in names. Also like humans, an elf is often prejudged based on the actions of their relatives. Some elves even change or adopt new surnames to distance themselves from bad relatives or out of rebellion against their families. This is seen as a gross rejection of tradition and responsibility by most elves.

Elves live in places of high altitude such as cliffsides, mountains, and hills.

**Gift**

The Sleeper is the god if fate and time, so elves have the gift of prophecy. This allows them to see into the future. Just like any other gift, it shows up in varying degrees of intensity and ease. Some elves are born without it entirely, and they are viewed as unlucky and even dangerous to associate with.

Certain elves with weak gifts have to concentrate hard or have a very specific environment in order to see the future. Sometimes, they need compete silence or to burn a candle or incense, or they need to preform a spell or ritual. For other elves, they can see the future if they want to. Their visions come with the aid of a certain object or ritual, but it’s nowhere near as difficult as for those with weaker gifts. Still other elves have visions come to them whether they want them or not. It’s so easy for them to See that they do it even when they don’t want to, and when they do, they don’t need any specific conditions or outside help.

Those with the strongest gifts are referred to as oracles. They have such strong prophetic visions that they are constantly seeing different futures and cannot take care of themselves. These elves live in isolation with one or two family members looking after them and are often hidden away by their families. Although they cannot take care of themselves due to the constant visions, these elves are seen as extremely lucky and favored by The Sleeper. Some of their families use this as a means to make extra income, and they charge others to visit their oracle relative and hear their fortune. However, oracles cannot choose what visions they see.

There is an extremely rare form of prophecy that manifests very differently from the rest. There is a one in five hundred thousand chance that an elf will be born with it. Elves with it are called weavers, and they see the thin lines connecting people. These lines are known as the Strings of Fate. Weavers are one of the most powerful types of elves, but since so little is known about it, many others don’t believe them. They are so powerful because they can manipulate the strings to change someone’s soulmate, arch enemy, or friends just by snipping or tying the strings. There are only two known elves in Kavristonia with this power.

**Author's Note:**

> Hopefully I will be able to keep this to a regular update schedule. I'm thinking weekly or bi-monthly, but we'll see how it goes. please feel free to leave feedback and criticism, I'd love to know what you think!


End file.
